[Road_Trip]

Originally Posted by endlosung

stats do not lie, all states added jobs last 1/4, but one, Michigan, which lost 60 thousand jobs, when you cant find a job the grass is greener.

With the closing of Comerica, it looks like I'll soon be looking for greener grass. Not that I'm complaining. I've traveled extensively throughout the country and there are several states that I know I would enjoy living in.

[Catherine D]

I've only lived in 2 places, the Chicago Burbs and Southwest MI. My husband has lived in 17 different cities all over both coasts. We have lived together in MI, I for 18 years and My husband 15years. We have both loved it! We couldn't have found a nicer place to raise our 3 children. Great schools, safe, lots of recreation, VERY affordable. Because housing is so affordable, we OWN a beautiful home on 10 acres on a beautiful lake with views to die for. What we don't like is the gloomy winters and will retire someplace else. When, our youngest goes to college in 6 years. If it weren't for great wages and affordable housing, we wouldn't be in the financial position to live anywhere we want! I have a close relative who raised her kids in CA and is still drowning in debt. My whole family comes up here to visit in the summers and just dream about having a home on a lake (No visible neighbors). It's like living on a nature preserve. Where in this country could we find anything like this? While we were still young.

I pray we don't make a mistake in the near future with a new home and location. What we have in MI will be hard to replace. We just want more SUNSHINE! I wasn't willing to take the risk with my kids. This has been a great state for them to grow up in. We live in Kalamzoo County about 30 minutes from town.

NO state is all bad. And...my goodness, this is a pretty state. I too pray the economy turns around

[endlosung]

I to like Michigan in the summer, and summer in Michigan is from middle of June to middle of September. then I get sick thinking of what is to come, the snow, blowing sub 0 weather, and bad roads,snow up to your crack. plowing, shoveling, trying to keep warm. Any one who has not lived in it I can tell them, keeping your home at 68 F you are still cold all the time. a space heater or blanket as you sit on the couch.
Then when you are so sick of the white crap in march you start to fantasize about how spring will come at the end of march, and if you are lucky end of march you get a warm spell that melts the snow, and you feel a ray of hope. then after the snow is almost gone, in April sometimes when the leaves are blooming, you get a nice 6 to 10 inch snow drop. Just one more way Michigan will kick you in the nuts.
As far as cheap goes, it will get better, as prices are dropping like rocks, I just saw a home by Gaylord on 25 acres, 2400 sf home two story with 2 car garage paved drive, sell for 122,900.00 and it is like that all over the state.
your nice investment is worth 10% less this year than it was last year.
Prices will go up sure, maybe when your grandkids graduate from school. Maybe you can get a nice return to pay for the oxygen tank you will need at that age.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by Sociologist

You give up living in a state that has more recreation that most any other state, one of the highest wage averages compared to home prices, among many other benefits.

Overall its wage-to-home-price ratio hasn't been too bad, but that's mostly because of the housing prices. A contrarian strategy might be to stay put and let the hordes of unemployed people flee the state while you enjoy the more reasonably priced housing. One consideration for people would be how much non-Michigan expenses they have; such as student loans, which are the same regardless of which state you reside in.

When the dust finally settles, yes there may be a few more people unemployed than any other place, but what there will be is a booming market fueled by cheap homes, and the influx of people relocating back to the area as our markets shift from manufacturing to service based industries.

IF--and that's a big if--IF the state is able to attract more high-value-added knowledge-based college-education-requiring service industry jobs. Presumably, the state has been hoping to do this for years. Also, many of those jobs are being shipped to India or filled by people on H-1B, H-2B, or L-1 visas, so there are relatively fewer of them to go around. Michigan needs to change its business climate first, and I think the state's economy will need to get worse before the politicians and the populace are willing to accept the price of the pain that will be required. The "dust" might not settle for over a decade, which is a very long time in the scope of a person's life. Also, the housing prices in other states will return to earth eventually, too, but perhaps not as quickly as in Michigan.

[Michigan614]

I think all we need to say is Michigan sucks, i cann't wait to see if i get accepted to FIDM in San Diego so i am outta here! I can't do this anymore: no job. no money. nothing. cold weather? no thanks.

18 years here is wayyy enough, i'm ready to get outta this hole.

[gossamer]

I don't think it can get any worse. Who out there voted for Ganholm? It's all your fault. Liberals.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by gossamer

I don't think it can get any worse. Who out there voted for Ganholm? It's all your fault. Liberals.

Blame the Republicans too. Why couldn't they offer a better candidate? Offering Dick DeVos as the candidate was like the Democrats offering John Kerry as a candidate to go up against George Bush. In both cases the incumbents were weak and ripe for the picking, but the parties chose putrid candidates.

[MittenDweller82]

Billary for 08!

[endlosung]

The liberal states are not doing so bad, they are much better off then the republican states. Cheap housing will not drive Michigan to better times. if this were true than the slums of south America should be booming by now.
Michigan is poised for a bigger decline, the thought that it can not get any worse is not true, I seem to remember the Jews thinking that on crystal nacht, Michigan is beautiful in the summer, there is no doubt. but as I stated above that is from mid may to mid sep. the rest is crap unless you love to ski, snowmobile, ice fish, I don't like the cold so none of these appeal to me.
sorry to say, Michigan has a long way to go before it sees the the mid 90's again if ever.
people who buy property now have a good chance of it going up in the future, but people who bought several years ago are not going to see a profit on their investment.
Michigan has nothing to offer me, the north is a play ground for the rich and famous, and if you do not have the $ to keep a summer home then it has nothing to offer the working class.
The days of generous motors is over, ford is on the ropes, Chrysler is being sold off as not profitable.
What can you say, if you like the cold in your crack stay, if you like things to do in the warm weather than head south.
I am closing of property in hot springs Arkansas tomorrow, 7 ac for 30k, as soon as my home sells I break ground.
I will tell you hot springs has more to do than any city up north, I have worked in them all, traverse city, Mackinac island and city, ptown, Gaylord, and many more, Yes it is nice to stroll down the gaslight district in ptown, but you have to bump shoulders with the rich *******s who are sure that the sun comes up to bake their pucker hole, must be true mumsie told them so.
I have worked for ford, Bissell,Reynolds of rjr fame, on the point in harbor springs where you have to take a god dam horse carriage to the cottage that you could fit several standard homes in. I will not miss the hoity toity attitude the cities by the bay have, they can keep it.
even Gaylord with its potato Pollock Catholics get on my nerves. Gaylord is a back woods little town that thinks it is much bigger in the scheme of things than it is.
South is the where the new gold fields are boys, if you want to find your fortune head south young man. and don't look back, let the band freeze their asses off as they go down with the ship.

[Marka]

If you wish to talk about politics, I will move this thread to the appropriate forum. Otherwise, stick to the topic and avoid politics, please.